The Institute for Transportation & Development Policy's new report, "More Development for Your Transit Dollar: An Analysis of 21 North American Transit Corridors" has been added to the Research Center's best practices database.

Executive Summary
In the wake of the 2008 economic downturn, Cleveland, Ohio, along with other former industrial US cites, faced severe financial difficulties. While a tough regional economy and shrinking population forced many of the surrounding cities to cut public services and reduce jobs in the public and private sectors, Cleveland managed to transform a modest $50 million investment in bus rapid transit into $5.8 billion in new transit-oriented development. By putting bus rapid transit (BRT) along a strategic corridor and concentrating government redevelopment efforts there, Cleveland managed to leverage $114.54 dollars of new transit-oriented investment for every dollar it invested into the BRT system, adding jobs and revitalizing the city center.
A growing number of American cities are promoting transit-oriented development1 (TOD) in order to combat congestion and other problems associated with sprawling, car-dominated suburban growth. Many are planning rail-based mass transit…

The Federal Transit Administration published federal policy guidance which, in conjunction with the final rule FTA published in January, 2013, outlines the details of the new, streamlined evaluation and rating process for New and Small Starts projects under Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21). Additionally, FTA has posted updated reporting instructions and forms for the new process, available on FTA's website here.

OTHER VIEWSStreetcar Plan Irresponsible and Bizarre
Minneapolis Star Tribune
The City Council's former budget chair, Paul Ostrow, issued some harsh words this weekend about a plan to divert property taxes to a streetcar line, calling it "irresponsible" and "bizarre."

TRANSPORTWill Central Corridor Lessons Transfer to Southwest
Twin Cities Finance and Commerce
Businesses along the Central Corridor Light Rail Transit line had to sue in federal court to get the Metropolitan Council to provide an estimate of how much revenue local establishments lost during the transit line's construction.